Filthy Casual for Life

EPISODE 9: HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY

Hotaru and Hananoi are in a cafe trying cherry blossom treats. Hotaru asks what Hananoi wants to do for his birthday. She suggests they go view the cherry blossoms. He seems genuinely excited when she tells him she’ll try to make a lunch.

At home, Hananoi looks at the pictures he took of Hotaru eating the sweets. His phone rings. It’s his grandmother checking in on him. They discuss a letter they both received from his parents stating they won’t be coming back to Japan for the spring. The grandmother is obviously upset since they’re missing their own son’s birthday. However, Hananoi doesn’t seem to be bothered.

Back at home, Hotaru is thinking about how to make Hananoi’s birthday special. She immediately thinks back to the time Hananoi said to give him a signal when she was ready to kiss. However, she still doesn’t really know what that means. She seeks out the counsel of her older sister. Her older sister explains it is the next step when you like someone. As she exits her sister’s room, her mom stops Hotaru and explains they’re doing a memorial for their grandfather. However, it is going to be on Hananoi’s birthday! She calls Hananoi to break the news. There is obvious disappointment but Hananoi makes sure to tell Hotaru that he doesn’t mind when or where they celebrate. Anytime with her will make him happy.

On the day of his birthday, Hananoi wakes up, does chores, and then decides to go see the cherry blossoms by himself.

Meanwhile, the service for her grandfather is over. It took two hours by train to get there and she’s trying to devise a way to get home before dark. However, her mom tells her they were going to a hotel to eat with family. Her older sister steps in and tells her to go home. She’ll think of an excuse to tell their father.

Hotaru keeps flashing back to her birthday and how special Hananoi made it. She desperately wants to do the same for him. She races for the station.

Back at the cherry blossoms, Hananoi is reading his book when his phone rings. It’s the annoying boy from his class. He needs some help with his homework and then brings up Hananoi’s birthday. When Hananoi admits that he isn’t spending it with Hotaru, annoying boy really drives the nail through Hananoi’s heart.

Hananoi hangs up on annoying boy and sees a couple with their child. He has a flashback giving insight into his sad childhood. We get a glimpse of him always being left behind by his parents. We see young Hananoi excitedly waiting at the mailbox for letters, only to receive pictures of his parents with other kids. As he sits there, he internally thinks that if no one can put him first, why even bother. He looks down on himself for thinking this way. He doesn’t want to get left behind. He has a revelation that when he is with Hotaru, those feelings ebb away. He just wants to see her smile.

Hotaru makes it to his house, but he isn’t there. She texts him asking where he is at, but he lies and says he is at home. Watching the cherry blossoms flutter down, she gets an idea of where he might be. She thinks:

She finds him and immediately tackles him. She tells him happy birthday. As he embraces her, he realizes that he wants to always be her number one, but he feels like she doesn’t need to always put him first. He’s just happy to be with her and hopefully forever. He wants to be her soulmate.

THOUGHTS

I am glad to see that Hananoi is growing. He is starting to recognize his toxic traits and do something about them. He is beginning to realize that there is more to being someone’s soulmate than just being their one and only. I am also glad to see that Hotaru is learning to be a bit more selfish. She is always so willing to give up her time to help friends, but does very little to go after what she wants. Her sister really drove the point home that it was okay to do what she wants to do. They’re finally meeting in the middle.